From the Learner’s Seat: Students Reflect on Faculty’s Questions About Teaching
Introduction
SATAL PODCAST episodes draw from questions raised by instructors during our recent SATAL: "Closing the Assessment Cycle in Community" event, where instructors and student partners came together to reflect on teaching and learning findings. We begin the dialogue with a shared understanding: instructors give much thought into their teaching and genuinely care about their students’ success. At the same time, they often seek more effective ways to integrate the evolving student perspective, recognizing that each cohort brings different needs, strengths, and challenges each semester.
1. How do I get students to talk in class?
Student partners Bre and Silas emphasized that fostering student participation begins with creating a supportive classroom community and culture of care. Bre highlighted the role of early, low-stakes group activities, intentional seating, and clear communication about collaboration in making participation less intimidating. Silas stressed the importance of students feeling valued and safe, noting that small gestures—such as learning names, offering multiple participation formats, and normalizing mistakes—encourage engagement. Together, they show that when instructors intentionally build belonging and frame participation as an ongoing process, students are more likely to contribute meaningfully.
Resources:
- Harvard Kennedy School. (2015). Using Small Groups to Engage Students and Deepen Learning in New HKS Classrooms. Www.hks.harvard.edu [here]
- Stanford University. (2023). Increasing student engagement. Teachingcommons.stanford.edu; Stanford University [here]
- UCLA CEILS Designing group activities [here]
2. How do I encourage students to learn and limit the use of AI?
Students agreed that fostering genuine learning and reducing AI misuse requires clear guidance, supportive resources, and a shift in classroom culture. They highlighted that students often turn to AI when under pressure to be perfect, facing heavy workloads, or lacking foundational skills. Effective strategies include providing accessible, well-structured learning materials, breaking down assignments to build skills gradually, creating safe spaces for questions, and explicitly teaching responsible AI use. Framing AI within academic integrity policies, while also promoting growth over perfection, helps students see it as a learning aid rather than a shortcut.
Resources:
- University of Kentucky. Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching. Student AI Use Scale. [link]
- Alchemy. The AI Assessment Scale. Updated Strategies for Guiding Student AI Use [Video link] Scale [link]
- Bloom's Taxonomy Reimagined in the Age of Generative AI [link]
- Inside Higher Ed. How AI Is Changing-Not 'Killing'- College, by Coleen Flaherty. Key findings from Inside Higher Ed’s student survey on generative AI show that using the evolving technology hasn’t diminished the value of college in their view, but it could affect their critical thinking skills.
3. How do I encourage more students to attend office hours?
Undergraduate students Elena, Andre, and Christian share experiences that highlight both barriers and solutions. Elena recalls feeling unwelcome after a dismissive comment in a coding course, underscoring the need for inclusive and non-judgmental spaces. Andre emphasizes networking opportunities and the value of mandatory or structured meetings, while cautioning against limiting engagement. Christian notes that productivity, timing, and interactivity are key; students return when office hours are supportive and beneficial, creating word-of-mouth momentum that builds a culture of participation.
Resources:
- Brown University. Center for Teaching and Learning. Invitational Office Hours. Key evidence-based strategies that can be used to create a more invitational approach to office hours [link]
- Baylor University. Academy for Teaching and Learning. Making the Most of Office Hours [link]
- University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hold Effective and Inclusive Office Hours [link]
4. How do I encourage students to ask questions?
Students agreed that their peers are more willing to ask questions when mistakes are reframed as learning opportunities rather than failures. Explicit norms that highlight questions as valuable contributions set the tone for engagement. Specific prompts, wait time, and visible documentation of questions encourage both the quantity and quality of participation. Small-group or anonymous formats help students build confidence before sharing publicly. Tracking participation and valuing curiosity ensures that all voices, especially those that are underrepresented, are included.
Resources:
- Harvard University: Teaching students to ask their own questions: Best practices in the question formulation technique [link] The OFT in one slide [link]
5. What is your experience with group work?
Three students—Tina (Math major), Anthony (STEM and SSHA courses), and Francisco (SSHA courses)—shared their experiences with group work, reflecting on its benefits, challenges, and conditions for success. Students view group work as a valuable tool for deep learning, gaining new perspectives, and developing collaborative skills. However, its effectiveness depends on fairness, accountability, and structured support from instructors. When these elements are present, group work becomes both a means of mastering content and a practice ground for professional collaboration.
Resources:
- The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning: Group Work [link]
- Teaching@Tufts [link]
- Francis N, Pritchard C, Prytherch Z, Rutherford S. Making teamwork work: enhancing teamwork and assessment in higher education. FEBS Open Bio. 2025 Jan;15(1):35-47. doi: 10.1002/2211-5463.13936. Epub 2024 Nov 17. PMID: 39552012; PMCID: PMC11705465 [link]
6. How do I know I am going at a good pace for students?
Caleb, an Anthropology major, emphasizes the need for clear, paced communication and shared responsibility between students and instructors to maintain effective learning. He suggests strategies like quick polls, brief pauses, and think-pair-share activities to check understanding. Christian, a Human Biology major, adds that an instructor’s open, patient tone encourages feedback and helps gauge class pacing. Together, they highlight that balanced pacing depends on clarity, responsiveness, and empathy—supported by frequent checks for understanding and student engagement.
Resources:
- Harvard Graduate School of Education. Instructional Moves. Balancing and Pacing [link]
Faculty's guiding questions informing the Mini Podcasts
- How to interact with students on Zoom and make sure they understand the concepts?
